The Los Angeles Lakers have made their first big move of the offseason, locking up their coach of the future in Darvin Ham.

While the signing is definitely one that's getting rave reviews across the league, including the major Lakers co-signs of Magic Johnson and LeBron James, it's hard to say he was their clear-cut first choice.

https://open.spotify.com/episode/61Ar04k91qqxag5lQwOEe3?si=ed5d91133a624f9b

In a perfect purple and gold world where they could have any coaching candidate out there, some other names hovered around as potential replacements for Frank Vogel.

Via Dan Woike and Broderick Turner of the LA Times:

Initially, league sources thought the Lakers would chase established coaches like Utah’s Quin Snyder, Toronto’s Nick Nurse and Philadelphia’s Doc Rivers. All three, however, are under contract, and with sparse draft capital, the Lakers lacked the compensation to acquire a coach from another team.

Snyder, sources said, wasn’t interested in a move to the Lakers. While Rivers seemed like a serious option for some Lakers decision makers, 76ers president Daryl Morey said Rivers would remain with the team after they were eliminated from the playoffs by Miami.

The big names in coaching are obviously going to be locked up by other teams. Acquiring one willing to make a move to LA would require some additional compensation – something the Lakers sorely lack, and quite frankly would rather use to improve their roster around LeBron James.

That's why hiring an unproven, yet high potential candidate like Darvin Ham could pay huge dividends for the Lakers in the long run.